Improved



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. H. GIFFORD, OF AUBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED APPLE CORING AND SLICING MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 1,147, dated January 5, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. H. GIFEORD, of Auburn, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Implement or Device for yCoring and Slicing Apples; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full, clear, and exact de scription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

Figure lis a side elevation of my invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of my invention, taken in the line x w, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to a new and improved implement or device for coring and slicing apples; and it consists in the employment or use of a rotary fork on which the apple to be operated upon is placed in connection with a reciprocating knife and feedingpawl for rotating the fork, all arranged to operate substantially as hereinafter set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my iiventioml will proceed to describe it.

A represents the frame of the device,which is composed of an upright plate, a, having two horizontal plates, I) b', attached to it, one, b,being at its upper end,and the other,b,near its lower end. This frame is secured to a proper fixture in any suitable way.

B representsa wheel which is fitted on a horizontal shaft, c, below the lower plate, b', of the frame. This wheel B is provided with two sets of teeth, d d', one set, d, being bevelteeth, and the other set, d,being parallel with the shaft c, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

Gis a bevel-wheel which gears into the bevelteeth d of the wheel B. This wheel C is on a shaft, D, which passes vertically through the lower plate, b', of the frame A, and is sustained by a hub, e, which rests on the plate b', said hub having three pins, f, inserted in it to serve as a fork on which the apple to be cored and sliced is placed.

E represents a vertical bar which passes through the plates b b parallel with the plate a, and is allowed to work or slide freely in b b', which serve as guides for it. The bar E has areciprocating motion communicated to it from a shaft, F, by means of a crank, g, and pitman h, the shaft F having its bearing in th plate a.

To the bar E, at a point above the fork there is attached a horizontal knife, G, which has a short right-angular projection, t', at its outer end, (see Fig. 2,) the lat-ter as well as the other portion having a cutting-edge, and to thelower end of the bar E,or to an arm,j, secured thereto, there is attached a pawl, H,

B each time the bar E rises.

The apple to be cored and sliced (shown in` red outline) is placed on the pins f, and the shaft Frotated, a reciprocating motion being communicated to the bar E by the crank and pitman previously described. Each time the bar E descends the knife G cuts through the apple, making a radial cut from its periphery toits core, and a circumferential cut at the edge of the core, the latter cut being made by the projection t of the knife. Each time the barE rises the pawl H comes in contact with the teeth d of the Wheel Bland turns it a certain distance,the wheel B communicating motion to wheel C, and consequently to the fork and apple, so that a fresh surface will be presented to knife G each time it descends. The slices or cuts made by the knife are indicated by the red dotted lines in Fig. 2, the core being at the center. The core is left on the fork, and is removed after each apple is sliced.

Having thus described my invention, what Il claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The reciprocating knife in connection with the intermittingly-rotating fork, arranged to operate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The wheels B C and pawl H, when used in combination with the knife G,reciprocating bar E, and fork attached to the shaft D, for the purpose herein specified.

C. H. GIFFORD.

Vitnesses:

P. EMoRY ALDRICH, A. H. LAURENCE. 

